Dianne
Kay is probably best known to fans for her role as Nancy
Bradford on the popular ABC series Eight is Enough.
But did you know her very first role in Hollywood was as an
ingenue meter maid in The Kids from C.A.P.E.R. episode
'The Goodfather' (which was one of the first episodes filmed but
shown later in the series as one of the "When the Big
Bologna Was Blue" entries?) We were thrilled when
Dianne offered to share her memories of working on C.A.P.E.R.
with us!
"The
Kids from Caper was the very first television show that I
was on when I came to Los Angeles in 1976. One week
earlier, I had graduated from The University of Arizona with a
degree in theater and communications and had absolutely no idea
what I was going to do with it. At the time my agent was
Nina Blanchard, the famous modeling agent. She was trying
to expand her agency into television and she sent me out on a
cold call audition for a role on The Kids from Caper.
I had literally been in Los Angeles for less than a week.
It was my first audition and I remember the director was Stan
Cherry who directed such famous shows as Gilligan's Island,
Flipper, The Addams Family, Petticoat Junction, etc. I
auditioned for Stan and the casting director, Joan Barnett, and
they liked my interpretation of the role I was to play (the
meter maid), and they compared me to a young Judy
Holliday. The next day, Nina Blanchard told me that I had
gotten the part. I quickly ran to SEARS to buy more
underwear because I had only packed for a week's stay!
"One
of the main locations of my episode, 'The Goodfather,' was Magic
Mountain. I had to ride that horrible, Revolution roller
coaster which was known throughout the country in 1976 as one of
the most terrifying rides known to man!"
Dianne sent us this
photo from the set of the Kids from C.A.P.E.R. episode "The
Goodfather,"
taken at Magic Mountain. Dianne speculates that since they
all look so fresh, the photo must
have been taken BEFORE their numerous takes on the dreaded
roller coaster! You can see
a larger version of this picture by clicking here!
"The stars of the
show, the macho teenager heartthrobs, were all turning green
after the 50th take on that god-awful ride! I have a
teenage son who loves roller coasters and to this day I cannotgo near one
without feeling sick!"
"Since
I had just arrived from Arizona, I was still trying to get my
bearings and understand the business. The entire cast and
crew were so warm and made me feel at ease playing my
part. After we wrapped my episode, Joan Barnett took me
under her wing and suggested that I get a theatrical agent if I
wanted to become a serious actor. I took her advice and
six months later I was cast as Nancy Bradford on the hit
television series Eight is Enough."
Dianne appeared
in a scene with Steve on Eight is Enough.
"Currently,
I am developing a television show called “Seconds” which is
a parody that follows five middle-aged women who are in their
second stages of life."
Dianne
was so generous with her memories, and not only is she
absolutely wonderful but she's also an inspiration, having
battled kidney cancer and now taking on a whole new phase of her
career. We are very excited about Dianne's upcoming
project, Seconds, and will definitely keep you up-to-date
with information about the series! Many, many thanks to
Dianne for taking the time to tell us about her work on
C.A.P.E.R.!
Diane
was also kind enough to provide us with a copy of the script for
The Goodfather, which includes some very interesting
early character development of the Kids and the show, and you
can read it by clicking here!
